Digital content, including, for example, audio and/or video streams, may be transmitted for reception, use, and enjoyment by a receiving user. For example, television shows, movies, or other recordings may be transmitted across a computer network, or broadcast over the air, or transmitted by way of cable and/or satellite systems. In so doing, the digital content may be encoded, compressed, and/or modified, in order, for example, to conserve bandwidths in the various transmission schemes, and/or to speed the transmission of the audio and/or video streams.
After being encoded and transmitted, the digital content may be received by a user and decoded for use and enjoyment thereof, as just referenced. For example, a decoder may be associated with a television or associated set-top box of some sort, so that the encoded, compressed audio-video streams may be decoded and passed to the television (or other display) for presentation to the user.
Further, techniques exist for allowing the user to manipulate the audio-video streams in a desired fashion, in order to increase a convenience or enjoyment of the user. For example, digital video recorders may be used to record at least a portion of the received audio-video stream, at least temporarily, and may thereby make the recorded portion available to the user for operations such as, for example, pausing, re-winding, fast-forwarding, or other manipulations thereof.